Saint Gobain’s Rs 2,500-Cr Bet On India To Target Booming Work From Home Segment

 Covid has changed the world upside down for many. The distance between the home and the office has, in many cases, simply shrunk drastically. One part of the house has become a regular office. And, this has thrown new business opportunities. The housing sector at least is witnessing a demand re-jig.  Safety and WFH (work-from-home) compulsions are forcing home-buyers to opt for bigger flats. Sensing this, French glass maker Saint-Gobain has trained its focus on providing downstream solutions in India. Towards this it has chalked out an ambitious capex plan of Rs 2,500 crore. It has already set up a separate business unit for home solutions to satiate the emerging needs of home buyers. And, it is promising to offer customized solutions for every individual client. This calls for a sense of agility and spirit of entrepreneurship. To be sure, a highly technology-oriented and end-to-end digitized independent entity is now anchoring Saint Gobain’s foray into this downstream exercise. A game-changing initiative, this move reflects a new strategy in thinking for this predominantly material manufacturer. The end-user-focussed unit has already hired over 300 people with diverse skill sets to grab a reasonable share in the $25 billion home solution pie. End-user, nay home-buyer, terrain isn’t going to be an easy nut to crack. But Saint-Gobain has chosen to do so. India is shining for this French group, it appears.